Adventures in environmental data reporting: high tech, low tech, and everything in between or Wisconsin DNR's...

Electronic data transmittal and data warehouses seem like obvious solutions for streamlining reporting systems and managing large bodies of data; however, regulatory agencies like Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) face significant barriers in implementation. In addition to the development costs to the Agency, regulators may be limited by the capabilities of the regulated community and the perceived burden for small businesses and communities. Electronic systems can be implemented incrementally if supported by state regulations and processes for insuring data integrity.